Stonehenge plans for the solstice 2003

Stonehenge 180

Image by GLADMAN

copius-freakus2 May 18, 2003 21:53:26

English Heritage Plans for the Solstice 21 June 2003 at Stonehenge are a big f*****g joke!

Here are details I have just read on the English Heritage website concerning the opening up of Stonehenge for the solstice:

"Parking and entry will be free, subject to the conditions set. Please do not arrive at the Designated Car Park or the Stones in advance of the opening time.
 DESIGNATED CAR PARK OPENS Midnight Friday 20th June
 ACCESS TO THE STONES 0200 hours Saturday 21st June
 LAST ADMISSION TO DESIGNATED CAR PARK 1100 hours Saturday 21st June
 DESIGNATED CAR PARK TO BE VACATED 1400 hours Saturday 21st June

WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A HAPPY SOLSTICE"

First up why are people not being allowed access to the stones until 2am in the morning on the 21st of June? Secondly why is the designated car park not being opened until midnight on June 20th?

Have English Heritage thought this through, I think not? What are the thousands of people attending the solstice supposed to do up until midnight, they can't park in the car park, in fact they are not even allowed to "arrive at the Designated Car Park or the Stones in advance of the opening time". Even when they are allowed to park there cars in the designated areas they have to wait a further two hours before being allowed access to the stones.

Don't forget also that the solstice this year falls on a Saturday. This means that there is the potential for even more people to attend than last year, as many will not have to go to work the next day.

There isn't a great deal to do on a Friday night around Stonehenge, the nearest town is Amesbury, which won't be able cope if thousands of people decide to, congregate there, nor will the near by village of Shrewton.

What will happen, Chaos? Thousands of people will block the roads in and around Stonehenge waiting for the car park to open, the result of which will be a greater potential for trouble starting up.

It's the local police force that I feel sorry for. On the Evening of June 20th they are going to have there work cut out if English Heritage stick to these plans.

If English Heritage want to keep Stonehenge closed until 2am then they could at least open up the car park much earlier in the evening, say 8pm. Then at least people would be staying out of trouble waiting peacefully in the car park and not blocking up the local roads.

Even better, if English Heritage want to open up the stones later, how about say 10pm instead of 2am. Do the stones really need to be closed off until 2am? There argument for doing so is probably on the lines of 'the less time prior to the sunrise that people spend in and around the stones the less chance there is of any trouble starting up and damage occurring to the ancient monument.' If there is going to be any trouble this year then it will occur around the Stonehenge local as a result of the later opening hours and the extra time people will have to spend waiting to enter the designated car park.

Secondly if English Heritage think that by opening up the site later less people will attend the solstice then they are mistaken, no matter what time the site is opened up thousands of people will still go there to witness the sunrise.

The only good thing about the solstice plans this year is that unlike last year people will not be kicked out at 7am they will be allowed to stay at the stones until lunchtime.

Let's hope that English Heritage change there mind and allow access to the car park and the stones before 2am, which will hopefully reduce the potential for trouble starting up, and Stonehenge being closed off to the public for the foreseeable future on the 21st of June.

What does everybody else think about the Plans for the Solstice at Stonehenge in 2003?

Richard Hayward

Salisbury

Cursuswalker May 18, 2003 23:58:35

Replying to copius-freakus2

They sound designed to try and put people off. If so EH still can't have learned anything from the past.

I'll be there, precisely because it is on a Saturday, so as a teacher this is the only chance I get to be at Stonehenge on the Solstice.

baza May 19, 2003 02:18:00

Replying to copius-freakus2

>First up why are people not being allowed access to the stones until 2am in the morning on the 21st of June?

There have been requests for more time during daylight at solstice time (who from, I don`t know). EH are only prepared to open Stonehenge for one working shift, therefore the opening time has been put back to allow for more time in the day.

>Secondly why is the designated car park not being opened until midnight on June 20th?

I`m sure that EH ( or perhaps NT, as the car park is on their land) would argue that two hours is plenty of time for you to get from the car park to Stonehenge.

>What are the thousands of people attending the solstice supposed to do up until midnight....

People will be arriving from all over the world for the solstice. Presumably, they`ll all plan there journeys to arrive as the car park is opening, or later.

>Don't forget also that the solstice this year falls on a Saturday.

This year, the solstice falls on a Sunday, the 22nd. Not many people know that, that`s why Stonehenge will be open on the wrong day, the 21st, because EH know that that`s when most people will turn up.

>What will happen, Chaos?

Yes.

>...if English Heritage think that by opening up the site later less people will attend...

No, that`s not the intention. Open Access is for 10 hours. If it finishes later, then it has to start later.

>Let's hope that English Heritage change there mind and allow access to the car park and the stones before 2am....

I think the car park is more a matter for the NT and the police. Let`s face it, they know that there`s thousands of people who would like to see the Free Festival return. They don`t want to give us enough time to settle in to the car park.

baz